This week the heat gang popped our slippers on, took the phone off the hook and polished our spectacles as we sat back and enjoyed a spot of reading. On this week's heat bookshelf: Perfect Strangers by Tasmina Perry and Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell .
Here's what we thought:
Perfect Strangers
Tasmina Perry (Headline, £12.99
The plot: When Sophie Ellis’ dad dies, leaving the family with barely a penny, the former “rich chick” is determined to turn her life around. But, after a whirlwind affair with an American businessman who ends up being murdered, she finds her life heading down a path she never thought possible. It’s a journey that takes her from London to Paris to New York to the swanky Côte d’Azur on a quest to clear her name and uncover the truth. Ambitious journalist Ruth is never far behind her, but can both women escape with their lives and find love along the way?
What’s right with it? Chick-lit can sometimes feel fluffier thana blow-dried rabbit, but Tasmina Perry has created something a lot juicier. The action is non-stop, the mystery truly puzzling, and we fell in lust with sexy, inscrutable Josh.
What’s wrong with it? We found it difficult to feel much sympathy for Sophie’s character until a good few chapters had passed, and even then we still preferred the feisty, gutsy Ruth.
Verdict: A fast-paced, glamorous and enthralling tale that totally deserves a place in your beach bag this summer. 4/5 @Broomie29
Before I Met You
Lisa Jewell (Century, £9.99)
The plot: Quirky Betty Dean has put her dreams of moving to London on hold so she can stay in a crumbling, isolated house in Guernsey, caring for her elderly grandmother Arlette. But when the old lady dies and leaves a large sum of money to the mysterious Clara Pickle, Betty escapes to the bustle of London’s Soho to uncover her grandmother’s past.
What’s right with it? The book flips between Betty and Arlette’s lives as they settle in London. Betty is dirt-poor, but catches the eye of the hot bloke who works outside her flat as well as her rock-star neighbour, while in the past, Arlette is drawn into bohemian life in the ’20s. You’ll become totally absorbed in both tales as the family secrets unravel.
What’s wrong with it? Because of the formality of the ’20s, it takes a while for the story to pick up pace, but the descriptions of this dizzy new world of art, jazz, dancing and romance do make up for the slow start.
Verdict: Anything that can seamlessly combine mystery, scandal, ’20s glamour and modern-day flirtathons ticks all our boxes. 4/5 @deborah_heat